sunburn

verb

sun·burn | \ ˈsən-ˌbərn

sunburned\ ˈsən-ˌbərnd

\ or sunburnt\ ˈsən-ˌbərnt

\; sunburning

Definition of sunburn

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

: to burn or discolor by the sun

intransitive verb

: to become sunburned

sunburn

noun

Definition of sunburn (Entry 2 of 2)

: inflammation of the skin caused by overexposure to ultraviolet radiation especially from sunlight

Examples of sunburn in a Sentence

Noun

He has a bad sunburn. Use sunscreen to prevent sunburn.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

There may be lingering pain, soreness, or sensitivity after a tattoo, which can feel similar to sunburn or a bruise. — Lucy Diavolo, Teen Vogue, "A Tattoo Artist's Guide to Your First Tattoo," 2 Jan. 2019 Your eyes, like your skin, can get sunburned when they’re exposed to too much sunlight. — Korin Miller, SELF, "5 Entirely Preventable Eye Injuries Doctors See Way Too Often," 1 Nov. 2018 The tanning ethos dates back to The early 1920s, when Coco Chanel inadvertently got sunburned on the French Riviera — or, some say, on a cruise near there. — Alison Rose, Town & Country, "Hot Pursuit," 16 Dec. 2012 Cindie Allen-Stewart, of Mount Calm, shared her decades-old family secret on Facebook hoping to help some friends who, like her, are prone to sunburn despite using sunscreen. — Jennifer Earl, Fox News, "Texas mom's viral sunburn hack works, but it's not 'magical cure,' dermatologists warn," 3 July 2018 The child’s head, sunburned under the blond velvet, rested on the woman’s strong arm. — Lauren Groff, The New Yorker, "Under the Wave," 9 July 2017 If Tuohy were running barefoot, the bottom of her feet might be sunburned by the end of a long race. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, "America’s Next Great Running Hope, and One of the Cruelest Twists in Youth Sports," 8 June 2018 And now, aloe and hopefully goodbye to sunburn pain. — Amy Bartner, Indianapolis Star, "Sunburns: Race weekend's top lobsters," 29 May 2018 After about six hours of sun exposure, 110 participants were sunburned on their SPF 50 side, and ten were sunburned on the SPF 100 side. — Ashley Weatherford, The Cut, "Why Your Sunscreen Should Be SPF 100," 24 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Avoid irritation and sunburn with the Good Housekeeping Institute's picks below. — Blake Bakkila, Good Housekeeping, "Here's Exactly How You Should Order Your Daily Skincare and Makeup Routine," 29 Aug. 2018 Weary attendees squeezed in one last thing before heading home with bags of merchandise, sore feet, some sunburns and fewer dollars in their bank accounts. — Lindsey Bahr, The Seattle Times, "5 of the biggest takeaways from Comic-Con 2018," 23 July 2018 Aside from being the longest day of the year and marking the start of the season for sunburns and cookouts, the summer solstice happens when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer, according to the National Weather Service. — Patricia Madej, Philly.com, "Summer solstice 2018: What it is and how to celebrate in Philly," 21 June 2018 Trending Video Baby Ariel Reacts to Her Old Instagram Photos To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that : 0%: 0% Nothing to see here — especially not a sunburn. — Zoë Weiner, Teen Vogue, "Ariel Winter Shares Video of Levi Meaden Rubbing Sunscreen on Her Butt," 16 July 2018 In the first photo, her back is red with visible sunburn lines where straps had been. — Amanda Macmillan, Health.com, "Can Shaving Cream Treat a Sunburn? A Dermatologist Weighs In on This Home Remedy Gone Viral," 28 June 2018 And the same ingredients that help your skin recuperate after a sunburn work here to bring down redness. — Cristina Mueller, Glamour, "How to Deal With Every Summer Skin Issue, From Sunburns to Bug Bites," 8 June 2018 And will there be sunburns and stomachaches and forgotten baseball gloves and sibling spats and rain delays and traffic jams and other reminders that life is messy and imperfect even during the summer? — Heidi Stevens, chicagotribune.com, "It's my summer of 'yes, and.' (Yes, it's July. And I'm panicking.)," 2 July 2018 Whatever the reason, a painful sunburn is a powerful reminder to not let your efforts fall short again. — Kari Molvar, Vogue, "The Best Sunburn Remedies, From Soothing Balms to LED Treatments," 28 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sunburn.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.